On the road to nowhere
by pinksnow
Summary: Wait, Window, Crumble, Flower...A collection of twelve related drabbles. warnings:shounenai, strangeness, randomness. characters:Tezuka, Fuji, Atobe, Yuushi, Eiji, Jirou, Gakuto. pairings: various


A rather strange, multi-character one-shot.

On with the story.

------------------------------

** Wait **

" Did you wait for long? "

" Not really. " the boy questioned smiled softly.

" You don't have to wait for me, Fuji. " The other boy spoke as he fell in step with his friend.

" Iya. " Fuji just shook his head.

_  
/ I **want** to wait for you, Tezuka. / _

" I don't mind at all. " he murmured, smiling through closed eyes.

_/ For you, I'll always **wait. **/ _

------------------------------

**Window**

" Fujiko, you should keep your eyes open nya. "

" I should? " The blue eyed boy smiled good naturedly.

" Demo! " His redheaded companion pouted at this casual response, " I mean how can you see anything like that anyway? " he protested, voice whiny.

" Saa.." the tensai just smiled again.

_/ Eyes are **windows** to the soul. / _

" Mou Fujiko… I wish you would listen to me. " Eiji mumbled crossly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

_/ Your eyes are always closed. I feel like you are **hiding** something from me. / _

------------------------------

**Crumble**

" Atobe? "

"…..? " Atobe Keigo looked up from his text book, across from him,

where the blunette was seated, in the Hyoutei library.

_  
__/ What **do** I mean to you/ _

" How is your training coming along? " the blunette drawled casually, as if out of boredom.

_/ Do you notice me/ _

Rare momentary surprise flitted across the captain's face.

" You _have_ been self-training separately." Oshitari Yuushi pointed out, poker face in place.

_/ Do you even **know** I'm alive/ _

" And just why do _you_ know about that? " Atobe frowned his disapproval, apparently not fancying being spied on.

" I happen to have an eye for these things. " Hyoutei's tensai shrugged in indifference.

_  
/ You are making me **crumble.** / _

------------------------------

**Flower **

" Your match with Kirihara.."

_  
/ The first time I saw you. / _

" Aa. So you heard about it? " Fuji spoke softly as they walked the familiar path to school.

" Hn. "

_/ I thought you were like a **flower.** / _

" It was a tough game, Tezuka. I barely won…" Fuji smile was somewhat strained, as if recollecting the said match.

_  
/ But flowers wither **quickly**. And _ _Fuji__ Syuusuke, I've come to learn. / _

"You did well. " a stiff nod, an unexpected compliment.

_/ You are no flower. Even so, you are** beautiful**. / _

------------------------------

**Salt water **

" Jirou.." Atobe almost blinked. Almost.

_ / For some reason. / _

" What? Are you mad at me? " The blond challenged, eyes defiant.

_/ I always expected you to taste** sweet**. / _

" No, Jirou. " Atobe shook his head. " But you know ore-sama.."

" I know, I know.." Jirou waved his hand, dismissing it, " You are going out with _him_, right? "

"……" Atobe did not feel the need to confirm the same.

" Demo, Atobe, its _mistletoe_.." the blond pouted, emphasizing on the significance of the small green sprig.

" You were holding it above us, Jirou.." and Atobe would have rolled his eyes, if it were not for the expression on the other's face.

_/ But today as you **kissed** me… / _

" Mistletoe is still mistletoe. " The blond yawned, pocketing the small sprig. " Ne Atobe, he had better keep you happy. "

"….." And even the king of Hyoutei did not know what could be said to that.

_  
/ Your lips tasted like **salt water**. / _

------------------------------

**Despair **

" Eiji.. I got us some ice-cream.." Fuji gently tapped his friend on the shoulder.

" Nya? " The redhead looked up, snapping from his reverie.

" Look, I was able to get the new Chocolates cd too.. the one that got sold out last week…. you wanted it, didn't you? " he gently ruffled the soft mop of red.

_  
/ **Smile.** / _

" Nya Fujiko, arigatou. " A forced smile.

_/ Not that one. A** real** smile. / _

" Eiji…."

" Its okay, its okay. I'm fine. "

_/ Can there be no remedy for** despair**/ _

------------------------------

**Silence **

" How long, Tezuka? "

Silence.

" Exactly how long.. did you plan to deceive..me? " The other's voice sounded a little tired.

More silence.

" Was it..fun? " He smiled wryly. " It must be. "

Again, silence.

_/ Atobe. / _

" Well, it doesn't matter. You can go to him, or you can go to her. " A haughty toss of near indigo hair.

No answer.

_  
/ **Silence** is golden, or so they say. / _

" What you do from here on is none of ore-sama's business. ", another pause. " We are over. " he announced, signaling the end of conversation.

A quick nod later, he was gone.

_  
/ And today I stood **silent**, because I did not have much of a choice. / _

------------------------------

**Bitter, tea. **

" Shitsureishimashita(1)…" She stood in the doorway to his study. " But I brought you some tea.."

_  
__/ Where are **you**/ _

" You shouldn't have." He looked up from his work.

_/ Why is she here, this strange woman/ _

" You overwork yourself so much.." She murmured, " This is the least I can do for you. "

_/ This is not her place. It is **your** smile I wish to see, your laughter I **long** to hear… / _

" Hn.. " he adjusted his glasses, " Thank you. " he accepted it with a stiff nod.

Even after getting intimate, she kept feeling like a stranger, Tezuka couldn't get used to this married life.

_  
/ Your lips I yearn to **touch**. / _

And even the tea she made tasted bitter.

------------------------------

**Comfort **

" Of all the people. " Atobe brushed wheat colored bags out of clear blue eyes, which were open for once, instead of closed. " I _never_ quite imagined…"

" Fate has a twisted way, ne, Atobe-san? "

" You can drop the honorifics already…" Atobe almost rolled his eyes at Fuji's choice of words " Fuji… you really loved him, didn't you? "

_/ I **did.** / _

" So did you. " Fuji's voice was soft as he spoke.

_  
/ There is no denying the truth, for both of us. That's why we are here. / _

" I wonder…" And even though Atobe sounded indifferent, Fuji knew better.

_  
/ Because we both need this **comfort**. / _

------------------------------

**Missing **

She is beautiful. Delicate like a daisy.

_  
/ Nothing but the **best** for me. / _

Raven hair frame her almond shaped face, her flawless complexion puts porcelain to shame, her smile could easily rival the glow of a thousand fireflies… she is every man's desire. She is perfect.

Atobe Keigo would never settle for anything less, that is how it had always been.

_/ But. / _

And it was ironic how even the best paled in comparison to what he had with him.

_/ I **miss** you. / _

------------------------------

**Termites **

" Yuushi, how much more junk _have_ you kept in here anyway? "

" Its not junk, Gakuto. " Yuushi drawled, amused at the impatience of his ex-doubles partner.

" Whatever. Don't make me help you then. " the acrobat muttered crossly.

" You said you were free, remember? " Yuushi shook his head, he should have known better.

" But I'm tired now! " Gakuto held up another odd item which must have been in a recognizable condition at some point in time, but now neither he, nor Yuushi could identify its purpose, " And just what the hell is this supposed to be? "

" Just put it in that pile there.." Yuushi murmured distractedly, sorting through more stuff, " We are almost …" he stopped speaking when his hand touched a smooth, wooden object.

_  
__/ It's the gift **you** gave me, first year, middle school, right, Atobe/ _

" What's that piece of ancient history? " Gakuto started to snatch it from his hold, " Eww! "

" It's nothing important…"

_/ **Termites** got into it. / _

" Throw it out already! "

_  
/ It's about time I **cleaned out my closet**. / _

------------------------------

**Change **

" Fancy seeing you here…" Fuji Syuusuke smiled softly at the unexpected, or should he say _expected_ visitor, at his first photography exhibition.

"….." No answer.

_/ You came here because of **me**, right/ _

" So… what do you think? " He followed Tezuka's gaze to the frames on the wall, " Do you like it? "

" Hn. " The other nodded stiffly. " Fuji.."

Fuji looked at his old friend, who at a point in his life _had_ meant so much more.

_/ Say it. I **need** to hear it. / _

" You did well.." the bespectacled one finally spoke after a moment's hesitation.

" Arigatou.." Fuji murmured, smile becoming that much more brighter.

_/ You haven't **changed**. / _

" Saa…" he just took the stiffer one's arm, " Now introduce me to your wife. "

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**A/N:**

1. Shitsureishimashita - Excuse me i don't know if i used the appropriate version for it!

If you liked it, then do press the little review button...Thank you for reading! 


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